Armed veteran set for perfect mile
FITZROY Glispie’s hardy eightyear-old, TIMEFORARMS, takes a step down in class from his usual overnight allowance roost to race among $850,000 claimers tomorrow, taking on horses half his age, some younger, at what should be an ideal mile for the oldstager.
Glispie has recalled hot apprentice Anthony Thomas, who was astride TIMEFORARMS for five consecutive overnight allowance races prior to his last outing on December 2 - a fast-finishing eighth-place finish at 1400 metres behind SOY EL SENOR, Wednesday’s winner BLUE DIXIE and fit TRADITIONAL PRINCE.
TIMEFORARMS really had very little chance at 1400 metres in a race with splits of 23.0, 46.2 and 1:10.4. However, the eight-year-old showed his strength inside the last furlong, closing well to finish six-and-a-quarter lengths off SOY EL SENOR, who, in turn, beat second-place BLUE DIXIE by two lengths.
Down in class at a mile, TIMEFORARMS will not only have a slower pace to his advantage but reports four pounds lighter due to Thomas’ two-kilo claim.
NAIL-BITER
Thomas is more than familiar with TIMEFORARMS. Among the five consecutive overnight allowances races in which he was aboard the eight-year-old this season, was a fourth-place finish behind DWAYNE STAR, PHINEAS and PROLIFIC PRINCESS at 1500 metres in July.
Stretched out for his next two races with Thomas, TIMEFORARMS was third to ROYAL VIBES and UNCLE TAF at a mile in August and afterwards lost a nail-biter to SUPERLUMINAL at 10 furlongs in September, finishing ahead of HOVER CRAFT in the Kenneth Mattis Trophy.
Among TIMEFORARMS’s rivals are the versatile STORMING, speedy MR AMBASSADOR and JAMAI RAJA, who hasn’t been the same horse since running his heart out a year ago to place fourth in the Diamond Mile.
STORMING was no match for MR AMBASSADOR at 1300 metres on November 15 in the Cecil Charlton Trophy and should be similarly held by her old rival.
Richard Azan has been trying to get JAMAI RAJA back into shape, but had finished 11th behind SOY EL SENOR on December 2, almost three lengths behind TIMEFORARMS, who rushed past him from off the pace.
MR AMBASSADOR could be TIMEFORARMS’s main threat if he gets a chance to control the pace. Jockey Oneil Scott fell from aboard the five-year-old behind ZEPHYR on November 25. He now has a rider hungry for a winner, Bebeto Harvey, who will try making every post a winning one.